Fault
by KeepCalmAndLove
Summary: Ashling is something different. She's seen the darker side of Neverland and carries the effects of it with her everyday. When she's thrown back into the midst of Neverland, she's caught between two boys and her own fears. Will she make it out with Henry alive, or will Neverland take her into its clutches?
1. Prologue

Prologue:

Narrator's POV:

She ran. She ran for dear life, tripping on vines and twigs, cutting her pale skin like scissors would paper. Thin, long streams of red ran along her arms and legs.

She hardly blinked as branches hit her in the face, making purple bruises bloom across her cheeks and jawline. She was only concerned with one thing. Escape.

She could hear their calls, their whoops and cheers behind her. Savages. All of them. They beat sticks on the trees as they ran to catch her. It only made her run faster.

A vine snaked its way around her ankle, tripping her. She could only stare up in horror at what came next.

Her screams pierced the night like a blade would flesh, their shouts of delight ensuing afterwords.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Shadows. I've always been afraid of them. But now I was scared senseless. And worse, they were everywhere. I would turn the corner, and there they were.

Dr. Hopper diagnosed it as Sciophobia.

I was also afraid of my reflection. My ugly, hideous, awful, horrible reflection that stared back at me every time I looked in a mirror. Eisoptrophobia, he called it.

I couldn't remember why I was so afraid, or what I ever did to her majesty, the Evil Queen, but, then again, what did the rest of us do?

"Ashling, have you turned in your assignment?" Miss Blanchard, er, Snow White, er, Mrs. Charming, ah! Whatever. "Uh, no. I haven't, sorry. I'll get it in tomorrow." She smiled softly. "Okay. See you tomorrow."

...

I trudged through the door of my little apartment, practically dragging my backpack and other crap along with me. When I set my stuff down, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. My eyes widened and I screamed at the monster I saw in the mirror.

I grabbed a candlestick and was about to smash the mirror, when I remembered mirrors were made of glass. Nelophobia. I'm afraid of glass.

I know, I know. I'm a real head case. But, I have my reasons.

Digging through my backpack, I find the pills Dr. Hopper and Dr. Whale prescribed me. I take out a water bottle and swallow three. Afterwards, I go over to the window, sit down on the ledge and stare out at the town through it.

You might think,_ 'Why would she look through a _glass_ window?'_ It's because the window is more of a freedom to me than a cage.

Night falls and I quickly retreat to my room, shutting all the curtains. I nestle in with a good book, read for thirty minutes, write in the journal Dr. Hopper gave me, then take my sleeping pills, leaving the light on as I drift into oblivion.

Two more fears: Somniphobia and Nyctophobia. Fear of sleep and fear of the dark.

This is a daily routine. My irrational fear making it nearly impossible for me to live a full life or want to. Sure, my medical and electricity bills are high, but it keeps me safe from the monsters that lurk in the shadows, or the dark, or mirrors, or stalk me in my sleep.

I'm not exactly sure about the origins of my fears. I have a sense of why I have them, but the picture isn't complete. But I know I was miserable pre-Curse.

...

I was born on a cold, winter night. Mother spurned me because of the rose-shaped, port wine birthmark on my left eye and cheek bone. My childhood was a series of gray memories. I remember being locked away in a iron and glass cell for five years, from when I was twelve till I was seventeen. Then the bad thing happened. The Curse hit shortly after that. I haven't seen Mother since.

So now, I'm stuck here with everyone else. I spent 28 years repeating my junior year of high school, trying to conquer my phobias. Then Emma came along and broke the Curse. Of course when she came, more irrational fears tagged along with her.

I'm usually a nervous wreck by the end of the day. Fear of imperfection, Atelophobia. Fear of ugliness, Cacophobia. Just some of the few that I now possess. Most of these fears make me afraid of myself, and this is because...I am a monster.  
...

Sunlight filters through the curtains and lands on my eyelids. I hate sunlight. If there wasn't any, there would be shadows. But then again, without it, everything would be dark.

I rouse myself out of bed, avoiding the mirror, and tried to get as ready as I could. I walked over to the door, hesitant to open it since it was Saturday. There was no school on Saturday. That meant they would be out in the town.

Ephebiphobia, fear of teenagers. Now you must think I'm really screwed up, considering that I'm in high school and a teenager myself. But don't worry, it's mostly directed at boys over the age of 12 and under 21. _'Huh. 12 and 21 are mirror images of each other. Wait. Mirrors!'_

Pushing my fears aside, I pulled the door open.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

I was walking near the pier, a safe place for me. Boats blowed their horns, seagulls cried out, and bells rung constantly. The salty sea air was cool, and I could almost feel my fears melt away. This was my sanctuary. This was my home.

But my few minutes of bliss were interrupted by a shout. To be particular, a shouting Henry.

He was being pulled along by two people. I recognized them as Greg and Tamara. Greg, the guy's whose car crashed at the edge of town. And Tamara, the Dark One's future daughter-in-law. I was scared of the Dark One as well.

"Where are you taking me?" Henry shouted at them. I don't know if they replied or not, I wasn't close enough to hear. But I could see. And I could see Tamara throwing something that suspiciously looked like a magic bean, into the water.

I had hoped and wished that I wasn't right about the possibility of it being a magic bean. I was right. The portal created by the beam swirled dangerously in the water. Greg, Tamara, and Henry all jumped.

In a split second, I had to make a choice: jump after Henry, or stay here with my fears. Taking a deep breath, I kept over the edge of the pier and into the swirling vortex below.

...

I've known Henry ever since he was little. Well. Little-er. His mom, er, Regina, er, the Evil Queen, oh screw it. Anyway, she used to pay me $20 an hour to babysit him.

This of course, was before my nervous breakdowns started to begin. And even when they started, I could never do it around Henry. He was so calm and wise for his age. Like a breath of fresh air.

Then one day...Henry had accidentally dropped a glass. The shards were scattered all over the floor. I don't exactly remember what happened, but Regina never hired me to babysit him again.

That didn't keep me from feeling some sort of protection over the kid. If he was being picked on, I defended him. If he got hurt, I was there to patch up his boo-boos. I was there to comfort him when he was upset. So, of course I would jump in after Henry.

This kid needed someone to look after him, wherever he was going, and I could do it better than anyone else.

...

I landed with an oomph on the ground after I jumped through the portal. It felt like sand. Deciding that I needed a better look at where I was exactly, I lifted myself off the ground, and came face to face with a nightmare.

Darkness. There was darkness everywhere. "Ashling?" My head whips around to see Henry. I scurry over to him and hug him to me tight. "You're okay." I mumble into his hair.

"Who are you?" I look up at Tamara. "Ashling. And I'm here to take Henry back." Greg smirked. "Sure."

"We made it. Mission accomplished." Tamara says, smiling. "Yeah. You made it to a place that's completely dark."

Henry smirked. "Besides, I would be worried for your safety. Cause I know my mom is coming to get me-both of them." Greg copies his smirk. "You might want to look around. There aren't any clock towers here. You two are a long way from home."

Henry just scoffs. "So? My family has been to the Enchanted Forest before and they can get back here again."

I looked around, just to check if we were in the Enchanted Forest, but nothing looked familiar. "We're not in the Enchanted Forest. We're in Neverland."

That's when the screaming starts.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Henry's POV:

When Greg tells us that we're in Neverland, Ashling loses it. Her eyes go wide and she lets forth a blood curdling scream.

"What the hell?" Greg shouts. "What's wrong with her?" Tamara asks me. Ashling gets worse. Her eyes scrunch up and she rocks herself back and forth, covering her ears with her hands.

"Kid! What's happening?"

"I-I don't know. The last time she was like this, it was...it was..." I'm lost in the memory of when Ashling was last like this. I had just dropped a glass of grape juice. Ashling had never been able to pour the juice for me. I had always thought it was odd.

Anyway, I had dropped the glass, and Ashling completely flipped out. I was able to move around the glass and got to the phone. I called anyone who's number I knew. While I was waiting for someone to come, I sat down with Ashling and tried to comfort her.

Ashling had never babysat me after that.

Unsure of what to do, I just started to rub Ashling's back, whispering for her to ssh. Eventually, I got her to where she could understand me and finally calmed down.

She looked up at us, her eyes a little teary, but no other traces of what just happened on her face.

"What happened?" She asks us. "You completely freaked out. Started screaming your head off." Greg tells her.

Ashling's POV:

"I freaked out?" He nods. "Well, on the bright side, we probably won't have to signal anyone." Tamara says. Greg shakes his head. "Her screams weren't that loud. Come on. Let's get further in on the island. We'll attempt to make contact there."

Narrator's POV:

What Greg didn't know, is that the home office could hear the scream, but knew they were there long before. Felix lifted his hooded head, his gray eyes watching carelessly over the Lost Boys.

The minute their visitors arrived on the island, he shifted his head down and banged his club on the hollow log he had been sitting on. The Lost Boys ceased with their dancing and looked towards him. He was just about to give the boys their orders, when a scream ripped through the night.

Every boy cringed at the sound, the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end. "Bloody hell! Make it stop!" One boy cried out. As soon as the words escaped his lips, the screaming stopped.

"Come on boys. Let's go greet our guests."

Ashling's POV:

Greg tries repeatedly to start a fire, failing mostly, until he finally achieves his goals. "Whatcha doing? Making s'mores?" Henry asks him.

Greg shakes his head. "No. I'm building a signal for the home office."

"An office in the jungle? I wonder who works there." Henry says, clearly trying to get on Greg's nerves. "Greg, we have a situation." Greg's head turns to look at Tamara who is playing with her communicator.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't get a signal. What the hell?" She shouts as her communicator leaks sand out onto the ground. "Is this just a toy?" Tamara asks him, doubt creeping along her features.

"Greg, what if they're right? I mean, after all that's happened and now the communicator-"

"-Don't let the kid get into your head. We just have to keep faith in our cause."

"Right. Right." Tamara said, trying to repeat it to the point where she could believe it herself. A rustling in the bushes breaks her concentration, and a panicky feeling slowly creeps up my stomach and into my heart.

To my absolute horror, a bunch of teenagers, teenage _boys_, make their way through the bushes.

Henry's POV:

I look over to Ashling to see that she's going into her panic mode again. "Ashling!" I try to call out to her, but I'm too late. Her screaming starts, but she seems conscious this time because she tries to back away from the boys, whom I am assuming are the Lost Boys.

The boys cringe at the sound, some covering their ears. Greg and Tamara are caught between rolling their eyes and digging a hole to escape from the sound.

"Ashling! Stop!" I shout at her, but it's no use to stop the now streaming tears and never ending screams. So I just scoot over to her and start rubbing her gently. Once again, she calms down.

"Well, if you're done screaming your head off, we'll be taking the boy now."

Ashling's POV:

I've calmed down enough to grit my teeth when I realize exactly who I'm staring at. The head Lost Boy, with blonde hair that's matted, gray eyes that stopped showing emotion a long time ago, and a long pink scar that runs underneath his eye.

"Felix." He slowly turns his head to face me. "What was that?" I push myself up off the ground, storm over to him, adrenaline surging through my veins, and sock him right in the middle of his face.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

He stumbles back a little bit, falls on his butt, and holds his nose. "What the?"

"You son of a bitch!" I scream at him, surprising myself with my newfound courage. Teenage boys scare the shit out of me, and here I am cursing at one. "How could you do that to me? How could you do that to anyone?!"

Felix, still holding onto his nose, looks up at me in confusion. "What do you mean? I don't know you!"

"Don't know me! Look at my face! Look at what you did to me! Look at me!"

He refused to do so. "Look, all we want to do is take the boy. Pan wants him."

'_Pan.'_ My eyes widened and I turned around to Henry. "Henry, run!" He nodded his head and broke into a sprint in the direction of the jungle.

Greg and Tamara don't even have time to register what is happening when the arrows find their way into their chests. They won't survive. The Dreamshade will work quickly since it's close to their hearts._ 'Poor souls.'_

Felix nods his head towards the Lost Boys, who obviously know the orders. They go running into the jungle in the direction that Henry went.

Felix looks at me. "Surprising. I would have thought that you would go after your little friend."

My throat goes dry at the thought of Henry. Alone in that jungle. With the Lost Boys after him. And Pan.

Panic overwhelms me when I realize Henry is alone in a jungle with Pan. "Felix, please, promise me that Henry will be safe."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because like it or not, we were friends once. Although if you remember is another thing."

Felix's POV:

This girl. This girl who had just punched me in the face, was now telling me that we're friends. Or used to be. "Sorry, but I don't know you. Besides, Pan is the only friend I need."

She looks at me, her eyes narrowed. Her stare soon becomes uncomfortable for me and I try not to squirm. I reach out and grab her arm, jerking her towards the direction of the camp. "Come on, Pan's got to have met Henry by now."

The girl tried to wrench her arm from my grasp, failing as she does so. I have to drag her as we walk back to camp, half of the time, she's trying to escape, the other half, she's cowering and trying to get closer to me.

Finally, after what seems like hours, we reach the camp site. I push her in the direction of my tent.

Ashling's POV:

Felix pushes me towards a tent and opens the flap, pushing me again when I hesitate.

There's a bed in the center, a hole in the ground (I'm pretty sure I know what that's for) and...oh my god.

Felix's POV:

For some reason, when the girl focuses in on the mirror by the bed, she starts shaking_. 'Seriously? Are mirrors That important to girls?'_

But, instead of she doesn't go straight towards it to check her appearance. Instead, she lets out another scream and latches on to me, burying her face in my chest.

Her breathing increases to the point where I think she's hyperventilating. "No, no, no! No! No! Not again! Not again! Please! Please! Get it out! Get it out! Felix, get it out!" She continues like this, confusing me to know end.

"What do you mean, get it out? What do you want me to get out?"

"The mirror! Get rid of the mirror!" Her cries turn into sobs. "Please, I don't want to see the monster! Don't let me see the monster!"

'What is wrong with this girl?' Not knowing what else to do, I pry her off of me and head over to the mirror. I lift my club and am just about to smash it, when,"Stop!"

I lower the club and look at the girl. "What now?"

"Don't break the mirror, just get rid of it."

Ashling's POV:

Felix narrows his eyes at me. "Why not?" I sigh, knowing that my answer is utterly ridiculous, but I say it anyway. "Because if you break it, the glass will go everywhere."

Felix rolls his eyes. "Afraid of a little mess?"

"No, just...glass." He cocks his eyebrow at me. "And mirrors, and darkness, my reflection, teenage boys, Neverland...and the list goes on and on." I say with a meek, half-hearted smile.

Felix's POV:

'_That explains a lot.'_ This girl...she was afraid of nearly everything. I'm surprised that she hasn't died of fright yet.

"Rough day then, huh?" I ask her. "Yes. Very rough. But, I'd do anything for Henry...even come back here and remember my very painful past."

I was about to say something, when the whoop of a Lost Boy, followed by several calls caught my attention. She sighed and shivered. "And by the sound of it, I'm going to get to walk down a torturous Memory Lane."

Ashling's POV:

My life had always been awful. Mother and Uncle had been royal, the prince and princess of a section of the Enchanted Forest, known across the land for the prince's gorgeous rose garden, where no one else but him was to tend to.

One day, my uncle had to leave to lead his troops during battle in the Ogre War. Mother had promised to look after it, and she did. Not once did she leave that garden, so you could imagine her surprise when she got pregnant with me.

Ever since I could remember, she would come visit me in the closed off wing of the palace I resided in, telling me the daily mantra, "If you tell anyone I'm your mother, I'll kill you." This included participating in society. So, I never made any friends.

She'd send me to school, my eyes covered to conceal my birthmark, then I'd come home, have a measly meal, and go to bed. Now you must think that my mother was probably an emotionless, cold hearted bitch since she threatened her daughter on a daily basis, but at times she could be motherly. And after all, if she really wanted me dead, she would have let me freeze with those roses.

Eventually, my uncle returned, visiting all the schools near the Capitol. Mother sent me out to school again, making sure to cover my eyes and threaten me. Uncle was visiting our school that day, asking all the little girls who could make him a shirt. Everyone answered, except me.

Uncle had zoned in on me. "How about the little girl who continues to remain silent?" So, he set me down with cloth, needle, and thread and told me to work.

He said it was the best shirt he had ever seen. To rejoice, he gave all the girls cherries. Afterwords, the girls all started to play with the cherry pits, tossing them around.

I guess some of the pits tangled themselves in my hair, because later, when my mother was combing my hair, she found them. Instantly, she became furious, shouting that I had told, told who I was, that I was a lying bitch, and I deserved to die for my sins.

I remember feeling a sharp pain on the back of my skull and all went black. Later, I awoke in a room made entirely of glass and iron. The glass worked like a two way mirror, me being able to see out, but no one seeing in.

The room was enchanted. I didn't need sleep, and I didn't need food. Rumplestiltskin must have had a hand in it, he had always made deals with my mother.

My body matured as days went by, watching others as they lived their lives. I would wish that someone would see me, that someone would save me from my prison. No one did.

And so that prayers of a little girl with a rose on her eye went unheard and unanswered. It came to the point where I didn't care wether I died of not, just as long as I could have a better life.

Rhodanthe, her name had been. My mother. The mother that had tried to kill me.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Felix grabs his club and begins to walk out the tent, when he remembers that I'm there. He looks at me, deciding what he should do with me. "Do you want to stay here? Maybe catch up on your beauty sleep?"

'_Sleep.'_ The warm/cold prickly feeling of panic flushes through my body. I shake my head and push myself up off the bed. "Nope. Nope. Don't need to sleep. I'll just go with you."

He looks at me funny, but shrugs it off. "Come on."

...

We trudge through the undergrowth of the jungle. I, being the bipolar mess of a person that I am, continually switch between hiding from the darkness that surrounds me, Felix, and the very ground I walked upon.

So by the time we got to the location, Felix had carried me, had me buried in his chest, and had tried to keep me from running away. He wasn't exactly the happiest camper.

We made our way into the clearing. Instantly, the first thing I spotted was Henry. "Henry!" I cried out, rushing to his side and kissing his perfect, little, safe, and intact head.

I stooped down slightly to meet his eye level. "You're okay? Nothing bruised or broken?" He shook his head. "Nope, everything is okay."

"But you're not." I stand up to my full height and spin around on my heel. A boy with dark gold hair that was tousled, brownish green eyes that held a glint of mischief in them, a permanent smirk on his face, and stood at 5'9" stared at us.

"Pan. Peter Pan" His eyebrows, which were capable of showing so much of his expression, raised. "How lovely. I don't have to remember to introduce myself. And you are?"

Something deep inside of me snapped. All the hurt I had kept down for years, all the betrayed feelings and anger and anxiety and sorrow just came bubbling up, spilling over the edges of what was left of my sanity.

"Don't you dare." I hissed through my teeth at him. Some of the Lost Boys gasped at someone forbidding their leader to do an unnamed deed. He cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Don't Pretend to not know me. Don't _act_ like you forgot Everything you did with me, everything you did _to_ me. I won't pretend that you didn't leave me, broken and alone, thinking that you actually cared for me, 28 years ago! So don't you DARE act like you didn't! DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"

Tears slip out of my eyes and stream down my face, pooling at my jawline. All they can do is stare at me, in awe, or shock, or confusion. I wiped away the tears and turned back to Henry. "Come on. I'll take you back to camp."

Peter's POV:

Silence. Stunned silence is all we can manage. We watch in our stunned silence as the girl takes Henry by the shoulders and leads him back to camp. I swallow the lump in my throat and look at my boys, who continue to gaze in the direction of the screaming banshee.

"Don't stand there with your mouths hanging open! Go on! Back to camp! We have a long day ahead of us!" Felix shouts at the boys, automatically knowing my thoughts. Continuing to read my mind, he stays by my side.

"Pan, this girl...she's...different." I nodded, agreeing with him. "I know, Felix." I pick up the dagger I had previously dropped when I crash-landed with Henry. "She seems to know us. Perhaps she was a child who visited in her dreams?" Felix asks.

I shook my head. "No, no. Her emotions were too real, too personal for her to have met is briefly in a dream. We need to find out who this girl is. And what exactly we supposedly did to her."

Ashling's POV:

Once we got back to camp, Henry looked at me, his eyes that were meant to be carefree filled to the brim with worry. "Ashling...are we going to get off this island?"

I didn't know how to answer that. No one left Neverland without Pan's permission. The only people that accomplished this were Baelfire and myself. Bae used Pan's shadow. My escape...

Putting on a brave face for Henry, I smiled. "Of course we are. Your moms are probably rounding up an army to save you. And of course there's that little motto your family has."

Henry smiled back at me. "We Always find each other." I grinned. "Exactly. Not even Pan can stop them."

"I wouldn't count on that." 'Speak of the fucking devil.' "I mean, after all, Peter Pan never fails."

I roll my eyes at the motto of the island. But I also know that he Was right. Pan was extremely diligent; whatever he wanted, he got. That's how he got me.

"So...Henry, will you introduce your...lovely...female companion?" Pan asks, taking me by the waist and drawing me into him.

Peter's POV:

Needless to say, I was beyond shocked when the girl shot me this disgusted look. But it was much more than disgust in her eyes. There was hurt, betrayal, anger, fear, and agonizingly painful sorrow. But most of all, she looked lost and unloved. These were the eyes that so many of my boys possessed. They almost seemed familiar in a way.

She wriggles out of my grasp and gets as far away from me as she can. "Don't touch me." Now her eyes possess something that I haven't seen from anyone in a long time.

Love. Bittersweet and faded love.

I am utterly confused by this girl. Not even Rumple's mother looked at me like that.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, turning my attention back to Henry. "Henry. Why don't we play a game?"

Ashling's POV:

The moment Pan says_ 'game'_, my skin becomes cold and clammy. My body starts shaking and the world begins to spin. Felix notices and walks towards me, concern written all over his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Back off, Lord of the Flies." He furrows his brow at my reference, but doesn't go away. "What's wrong? How can I help you?" I snort a little bit at the irony of that question. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just that, I never expected to hear those words from you, considering how in the past you've never been one to help."

Felix's POV:

There she goes again; acting like she knows me personally. But, aside from that, I can tell that she is far from well. "Maybe you should lie down."

She ignored me, shaking her head. "No. No, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Just lie down." She kept shaking her head. "No, because if I lie down, I'll fall asleep."

"What's wrong with sleep?"

"Nothing!"_ 'This girl is so difficult!'_ "Obviously there is! Why can't you sleep?!"

Ashling's POV:

With every question, I felt myself being pushed closer to the edge. "Why can't you sleep?!" I went over the cliff.

"Because then I'll have to remember!" I screamed at him. The camp went quiet at my outburst. My eyes darted around, feeling very vulnerable, feeling like they were judging me.

My body started heating up and breathing became very hard to breath. Social phobia. "Stop staring!" I shouted at them before running off into the jungle.

And I kept running. All the way to Mermaid Lagoon. Plopping down, I drew my knees to my chest and started sobbing. All the hurt and anger and sorrow spilled out of me, leaving an empty shell.

That was all I was. An empty shell.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Despite my loneliness as a child, there was one person that I could trust. He had been there when I cried over how my mother didn't love me. He had been there when the other children teased me. He had always been there.

He had been a maid's child and wanted to be a pageboy. When he got the job, I began to see less and less of him. Then my mother locked me in the room. I could see him then, see the handsome man he was becoming. See how his life was moving on without me.

Oh how I had loved him. How I wished he could hear me through the glass, that he could see me and rescue me from my suffering. But that wasn't meant to be.

I also saw how his master treated him. Saw the loneliness in his eyes that mimicked my own. He would come in bruised and battered, but he kept going. His courage inspired me, and I fell deeper into love with him.

One day, I was waiting for him to walk by, but he didn't come. I brushed it off and waited for him on the next day. Then the next day, and the next day, and the next day. He had gone missing.

A new pageboy replaced him. I couldn't understand why he had left, nor did I know where he was. Soon, I began to forget his features, forget what he looked like. There were only two things I remembered. His personality, and his name; Felix.

...

I remained there on the beach, crying my eyes out until there was nothing left. A snapping sound, like twigs breaking, caught my attention. My head whipped around to come face to face with someone I didn't think I'd see.

"Tinkerbelle?" Her blonde brow furrows in confusion. "Do I know you?" I nod enthusiastically. "It's me. Ashling." A gleeful smile spreads across my face when her eyes light up with recognition. "Ashling!" She shouts.

I giggle and pick myself off the ground and run to her. She makes an 'oomph' noise when I collide with her, but hugs me tightly, copying my own actions. Finally, we stop hugging and look at each other.

"Ashling, it's been so long!" Tink says, her eyes scanning every part of me. "I know."

"Where have you been? What happened to you?" I hesitate before saying something, a moment of hurt passing in my mind. Tink catches on to the fact that it's uncomfortable to talk about.

"How did you get back here?" She asks, changing the subject. "I followed Henry here." I tell her, but as soon as the words escape my lips the realization hits me. "Oh my god. Henry!"

Without an explanation, I break into a run towards the camp, leaving a gaping Tinkerbelle behind. When I reach the camp, to my horror, I see Henry holding a crossbow and pointing it at Felix, who has an apple on his head, and everyone chanting, "Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot."

"Come on, Henry! It will exhilarating!" Pan eggs him on.

"No-no." I say as I run over to Henry, but at the last moment he turns and shoots at Pan. Of course, the arrow never even touches Pan since he holds the entire arrow in his hand. The boys cheer for Henry and Pan smirks.

I know that look. It's the look he gets when he's won. "Henry, go sit down." I tell him, taking the crossbow from his hand. "Come on love. Don't ruin our fun."

Pan pouts, an expression that I know is sincerely fake. "I know what you're up to, Pan. You must be crazy to think that I'll let Henry fall victim to your trap." I hiss at him.

He rolls his eyes and sighs. "Are you still going on and acting like we know each other?"

"Are you still acting like you don't remember me? Like you don't remember what you Did to me? Cause Tinkerbelle remembers!"

Peter's POV:

'_Tinkerbelle? Seems as though I'm going to have to have a chat with her.' I_ walk over to the girl, putting my hand on the crossbow to lower it when she lifts it defensively (even though it won't do anything if it isn't loaded).

"Darling, I honestly, absolutely, positively do not know who you are." Her eyes narrow at me. "So you don't remember this?" I'm about to ask her what she means, but I'm cut off by the pair of lips that meet mine.

...

I hold my sword I front of me, laughing as my companion fumbles to grab her own. "Need a little tutoring, love?" I ask her, still laughing. "I've been told that I'm an excellent tutor! I can make anyone a great swordsman! Even a hopeless case like you!"

She laughs back, narrowing her eyes a little and smiles evilly. "I'm going to make you eat those words, Peter Pan!" She lunges at me and brings her sword down upon mine. We go back and forth, sparring, dodging, blocking, playfully battering.

"Not bad." I tell her, trying to dodge the blow she aims at my head. "But I'm better." In one swift movement, I'm holding both swords in my hand. But the game isn't finished yet.

Before I know it, she's the one holding the sword and I'm on the ground, breathing heavily as I smile up at her. "One thing Pan..." She says, leaning down, throwing the swords aside. "You should never underestimate your opponents. _Especially_ me."

She swoops in, our lips touching and I smile as we caress our mouths with each other's. It feels as though we could go on forever, but eventually, we stop. She rolls over onto her back and lies next to me. "Promise me it will always be this way. That we never have to worry about anything other than how we're going to spend the day. That you'll always love me."

I roll over to my side to face her. "I promise you that it Will always be this way, and that you will never have to worry about Anything. And as long as I live, I swear to love you..._always_, my darling Ashling."

...

My eyes snap open and I reel away from the girl. Her eyes flutter open, the same sorrow from before returning. "I see." She says, the unknown hurt creeping into her voice.

She turns away and walks towards Henry, who just witnessed the entire event.

Felix's POV:

Nonetheless to say that I am completely shocked. She walked towards the boy after having kissed Pan in front of all of us and was bombarded with whisper questions. "What was that!?"

She shakes her head, as though she's trying to clear the memory from her mind. "It was nothing. Why don't you rest?"

"No! Whatever it is, you've got to tell me what's going on between you and Pan, Ashling!"

My eyes widen and my heartbeat slows down. Breathing becomes harder and time stands nearly still. '_Ashling?'_

...

I tried to stay upright as I was pulled down the halls by the little eight year-old girl. "Come on, Felix!" She squealed, her face beaming and she continued to pull me along. "Slow down!" I said, laughing as I did so.

"No! We have to find it!"

"Find what?" I asked. I was twelve by then, four years her senior. She loved me to death and I felt the same. After all, be both had to experience the same torture each day. "We have to find it, Felix!"

All of a sudden, she stopped short and gasped. "We found it!" She turned to me, her dark curls swinging around her pale, round face as she did so. She gets to her knees, dragging me along as well, scooting in towards the corner of the hallway where it turned right.

"We found it, Felix! We found it!" She squealed, collapsing into a fit of giggles. "What did we find?"

"We found my home."

"But this is your home." I said to her, gesturing all around us. She shook her head. "No, silly. _You're_ my home." She poked me in the chest and I felt my heart breaking a little bit for her.

I smiled and stroked her hair as she snuggled into my chest. "Felix?" She mumbled. "Hmm?"

"Do you love me?" Needless to say, I was a little confused. "Of course I do. Why would you ask?"

"Because Moth-I mean, her majesty, said I was unlovable, and that no one loved me." I mentally scowled. That awful, wretched woman was always cruel to my little rose.

"Don't listen to her. I will _always_ love you, Ashling."

...

'_No. It can't be. She died a long time ago. It can't be her.'_


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Narrator's POV:

Pan smirked as he watched the horrified realization spread across Emma's face. "Hi, Emma."

"Where the hell is Henry?_" 'Oh no, you aren't going to win so quickly, if at all.'_ "You broke the rules." He said, walking up the hill of his old campsite. "That's not fair. Bad form." Pan said, the last part directed at his old employee.

"I expect more from you, Captain."

"Aye, and you'll get it."

"Give Henry to me." Emma demanded, the desperation clear as day in her voice. Pan smirked again. "Sorry, can't. Don't you know?"

Pause for dramatic effect. "Cheaters never win." And right on cue, the Lost Boys arrived, ready to fight whenever Pan gave the word. It amused Pan to see the startled look on the mixed up family's faces.

They all tensed up, knowing they were surrounded, preparing to fight. "Watch out for their arrows. They're laced with Dreamshade." Hook warned the other members of his party.

As soon as he said it, Lost Boys with bows released their arrows, those who didn't ran towards the fairytale heroes and foes.

Felix dashed towards Hook, swinging his club down only for it to be caught by his hook. "It's been awhile, Captain." He said, taunting him.

"Not long enough." Hook spat back, swiping at Felix with his sword. They sparred until they caught blows once again. "You remember what I did to Rufio?"

Felix growled, responding in the affirmative. "Well it's a far worse fate for you!" Hook pulled away and Felix brought his club down at him. Back and forth they went, catching each other's attacks for a final time.

"But then again, it can't be worse then what you all did to that poor girl. What was her name again?" Hook said with a malicious smile.

"What are you talking about, old man?" Felix asked, confused about what the pirate was mentioning. "I'm talking about that girl who you did those awful things to. Ashling, wasn't it? And I hear that she's here. Why don't you stop torturing at least one person, eh Felix?"

Felix stepped back from the Captain. And just in time as well, since Pan blew his whistle to summon the boys back. "Until next time, Captain." Felix hissed as he ran back to Pan's side.

"Remember what I told you." Pan drawled on. "That map will show you where Henry is, only when stop denying who you really are."

Pan stepped back. "I'll be sure to send Henry your regards." And with that, the Lost Boys let out several calls and vanished into the jungle, leaving the Savior and company alone to figure out what Pan had meant.

...

Ashling's POV:

I watched Henry as he slept. He looked so peaceful, and to tell the truth, I was a little jealous. Jealous of the fact that he could sleep when all this chaos was going on around him. Jealous that he was able to sleep without being scared silly.

It had been a long time since I could sleep like that._ 'And here comes the reason.'_ The Lost Boys and Pan come stomping back into the compound. As soon as he spotted me, Pan's eyebrows shot up.

"I'm surprised to see you're still here, Ashling, wasn't it?" He said, scrambling for my name. "Yes, and I know better than to try to run. You always win." I said to him quietly.

Pan smirked. "Right you are. Come on boys, let's prepare for the party." Some of the boys walk back into the woods, Pan back to his tree to change out of Henry's clothes.

I continue to stroke Henry's hair, wishing that he could always be able to stay this way. "You really care for him, don't you?"

I lift my head up to meet Pan's eye. "Of course. Why else would I jump through a magic portal and stay with him in a place out of my nightmares?"

Pan nods his head. "I'll give you that, but why, exactly, is Neverland a place from out of your nightmares?"

"You know why." I snap at him. Pan sighs in frustration. "For the last time, I don't know you!"

"Yes you do!" I shout back at him, the heartbreak audible. Henry shifts slightly and I lift his head off of my lap so I can talk to Pan somewhere else. Grabbing him by his wrist, I drag him over to the other side of camp.

"What you did to me was unforgivable! I haven't been able to sleep in 28 years without medication, unless I want to relive that night! You made me fear Everything, even my own reflection. You ruined me, Peter Pan and I wished I had Never met you!"

Pan's POV:

'_She really must hate me.'_ "Now, if you can excuse me, I'm going to protect the Only thing that matters to me from becoming just like you."

She's about to storm off when I grab onto her wrist. "What's your name?" Once again, she scowls at me. "You know."

"No, I don't. And unless you want the rest of your life to be torture, you'll tell me." She smiles, an eery, unnerving smile. "Sorry, I'm already in hell."

"Then I'll hurt Henry." She pales. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, but I would. Now tell me." She sighs and closes her eyes. "It's Ashling." My eyes widen as she opens hers and walks back to Henry.

'_Ashling?'_

...

I listen to the boys dance and shout as I play my pipes. Their howls and calls make me confident that they'll make excellent friends on Neverland. Hopefully, they'll be just as loyal as my new recruit, Felix.

He's a quiet fellow, doesn't talk about his old life much. But then again, when do any of my boys? In fact, the only person he will mention is a girl he once knew.

Felix was four years her senior and she was the illegitimate daughter of the princess of his kingdom. They grew up together and she always said that the were going to get married one day. But one day, when she was twelve and he was sixteen, she went missing. He always told the other boys that he never saw her again and that he suspected the princess of having a hand in the matter.

Back to the present, the boys kept going as I played my song. I looked up at the sky to see that it was nearly dawn. Almost time to go back home. '_Just a few more boys.'_ I thought. _'Just a few more, and we'll leave.'_

A rustling in the bushes distracted me from my song. I paused, but the boys kept going on, oblivious to the fact that there was no more music. The bushes kept rustling until someone stepped out of them.

It was a girl who looked to be about seventeen. She had waist length, black, wavy hair, pale skin, pale blue eyes, rosy, full lips, and stood at about 5'7". Her frame was thin, but sturdy. Her eyes were big and had a frightened look to them. The pale blue irises kept darting around the clearing, taking in as much as possible.

She was pretty. But the thing that set her apart from every other girl was the large, purple splotch across her left eye and cheekbone that resembled a rose. Her eyes finally settled on me and I felt as though I had been finally reunited with the other half of my soul.

"Hello." I said. She nearly jumped out of her skin at my words. "I'm sorry." I tried to say. "Didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's fine." She said. Her voice sounded hoarse, as though she had been screaming for a long time. "Just been a long time since I've been around...people."

She looked down and looked lost in a memory. "What brings you here?" I asked, bringing her out of her reminiscing. "I heard the music."

'That's a surprise.' My eyebrows shot up at her answer. "Really? Because only certain _boys_ can hear it. Boys who feel lost or unloved."

She smiled bitterly. "Well that explains it. So...why are you playing the music?"

"So I can take these boys back to my home. Back to Neverland." Her eyes widened. "Can I come with you?" My brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, only boys are allowed."

Those big blue eyes that had become my favorite feature of her started pooling with tears. "Please. Please take me with you. I can't go back, I just can't."

"Why can't you go back?" I asked, confused as to why this girl didn't want to go back home. Usually if girls were offered this chance, they would take it in a heart beat. "Because if I do, I'll be locked in the glass cage until I die! Please, you have to take me with you! I can't spend another 5 seconds in there, let alone another 5 years!"

She stepped towards me and grabbed onto my wrists. The tears that had previously pooled in her eyes were now running down her cheeks. Something inside me pained to see her like this. "Please, let me come with you."

So, when the dawn arrived, The Pied Piper had disappeared, with all the boys from the kingdom of Ros, and the illegitimate daughter of Princess Rhodanthe and Prince Cameron.

...

'_Ashling?' _I thought of the girl in the vision and the girl caressing Henry's head_. 'Who are they? Why can't I remember?'_

Feli's POV:

Neal, or Bealfire walks in front of me with his hands tied. "Feels like yesterday I welcomed you to Neverland the first time, Baelfire. Gotta say, I'd hoped I'd never see you again."

"Then maybe Pan shouldn't have taken my son." He retorts. "Maybe you should have left well enough alone."

"Why? You didn't with Ashling." I pause in my foot tracks. "Ashling?" Baelfire turns his head and looks at me quizzically. "Yeah. You know, the only girl on the island. Tough as nails, was mean enough to scare any monster here, spent most of her time training new recruits. Honest to God, I'd swear she was almost as bad as Pan. It makes sense now why she had both of you wrapped around her finger."

Baelfire continues to walk, prompting me to do the same. "Hey, is she still around? Cause if she is, it may have been a mistake to come back." '_Ashling? The girl who is as timid as a mouse and never leaves Henry's side?'_ "Anyway, I'm going to get Henry back, you know."

I scoff at his optimistic statement. "You really believe that? You were a Lost Boy, you know Peter Pan's not to be trifled with. You know how long Pan's been searching for the Heart of the Truest Believer. Do you really believe he'll just give him up?"

Baelfrie shrugs. "Maybe. If I ask nicely." I snort. "You may have grown up, Baelfire, but it would appear you've grown up stupid." He nods. "I have grown up. I don't know if I'm stupid or not, but I do know that I know how to tie an overhand knot."

I'm about to ask him what he means by that, when his fists slam into my face and I'm knocked onto the ground._ 'Again? The face? Come on! Pan will _not_ be pleased.'_

Pan's POV:

The boys light the fire and begin to dance. Henry wakes up and looks on with disinterest. Ashling, on the other hand, looks like she's going to have a panic attack. I look down at my pipes, then back over to the duo.

Picking myself up off the log, I walk over to where they are sitting and set myself down on the log across from them. "Don't you want to join the celebration?" I ask Henry.

"There's nothing to celebrate." He says with a bored expression. "Nothing to celebrate? Henry, this whole party is to celebrate you!"

"Me? Why?"_ 'Time to lie.'_ "Because you've come to save magic, of course. And I for one can't think of a reason more deserving of celebration than that." Ashling scowls. "That's a lie, and you know it."

She looks over to the boys and pales. "Besides, Henry will never be like them...or you." I smirk. "Sure he'll be. He's still a boy."

Directing my attention back to Henry, I raise my pipes. "Maybe a song will get you on your feet."

Ashling's POV:

'_Song!'_ Before I can say anything to dissuade Pan from playing, the pipes are at his lips. The haunting melody fill the air and I go into full panic attack.

Felix's POV:

Continuously, I go over in my mind what I'm going to tell Pan. The part about Baelfire is my first priority, but I need to find a way to fit the information about Ashling in there._ 'All these people know who she is. Why don't we?'_

I walk into the camp and stop when I hear an all too familiar scream. Ashling is in the corner, screaming her head off. Her eyes are wide and pure panic fills them. Henry shakes her shoulders in an attempt to snap her out of it. The boys all stand hunched over with their ears covered, trying to block it out.

"Felix, get over here!" Pan shouts at me. I walk over, hesitantly, and stand by his side, all the while covering my ears. "What's wrong with her?" Pan asks Henry.

"I don't know! She's been having panic attacks and your pipes must have been a trigger!" I get down on my knees and put my hands on her shoulders. I scream at her to shut up for a few times, but she's unresponsive. Pan tries, but he's unsuccessful as well. He leaves one hand on her shoulder and I take the other one.

Almost instantly, she calms down. But something else happens. It's gone in a flash, but I won't forget what I saw. And by the look in Pan's eyes, he saw it as well.

She looks up at us, wide-eyed and confused. "What's wrong? What happened?"_ 'She doesn't remember?'_ "You freaked out again." Henry tells her.

"Oh." She says quietly. "Excuse me." Ashling lifts herself off the log and walks away from the camp. Pan and I look at each other, knowing that sooner or later, we'll have to follow her. And when we do, we may be a little closer to figuring out why she's so important to us.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

I wept to myself, despairing over what had just happened to me, despairing over how I could have been so foolish as to trust them, despairing over how I was back to where I started. Back in my cage.

My sorrow was interrupted by a click and the sound of a door opening. I, in my woe, had failed to see the two women approaching the room with the key. The younger woman, who looked as though she was in her 40's, had blonde hair and brown eyes and rosy cheeks, looked startled. The older woman, who I assume was her mother, scowled.

"You see. I told you." The mother hissed to the daughter. "A little whore that he keeps locked up, ready to satisfy his every need."

The younger woman's face darkened. She glared at me. "What should we do with her?" She asked her mother, bloodlust in her voice. "What is the common punishment of whores who sleep with the master of the house?"

My eyes widened and my heart raced._ 'Little whores are burned.'_ I could hear my mother's voice taunting me._ 'And you, my dear, will grow up to be exactly that.'_

I pushed myself into the corner of the room, attempting to get away from the two women. "Come on, little whore." The younger one hissed. "You need to be punished."

They grabbed my arms and dragged me. As much as I tried to fight against them, I ended up just going along with it. _'This is my punishment.'_ I thought to myself_. 'This is my punishment for wanting a different life.'_

They dragged me into the armory. "Heat up the irons, by orders of the Queen." The blacksmith nodded, and pulled molten metal out of the fire. Once again, panic flowed through my veins as the women pinned me down by my arms and legs to the iron table.

The blacksmith neared with the white hot iron and proceeded to press it against my skin. I screamed in agony as my skin boiled and bubbled, turning red and angry. The blacksmith lifted the iron up once it cooled, only for him to stick it back into the fire and pull out a different piece and repeat the process.

On and on, it kept going, until my entire body had been burned, except for my face. The blacksmith looked warily at the women. The entire time he had been burning me, he had muttered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Do I have to, your majesty?" He asked, the both of us hoping for a_ 'no'_. "Do it." She barked. He sighed, and looked at me with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry." Was the last thing he said to me before he pressed the fresh iron onto my face.

When the burning was done, the women handed me a maid's dress. "Put it on." The younger one, the queen, ordered. "You begin work tomorrow, whore."

I donned the dress, stayed up for the rest of the night, then when the morning came, I began my new life as a mutilata girl.

...

I stumbled along the foliage and vines and bushes of the island, desperately trying to escape the camp. Tears run along my cheeks because I know what just happened.

I couldn't bare to tell the real truth. That I had relived that night. The night they had broken my heart beyond repair. The night they did it to me. The minute Pan started to play, the memories flashed across my eyes, the terror filling me just as it had that night. I wasn't going to let them have the pleasure of knowing how badly they broke me.

The plants become thicker and wind their way through the path. Rocks block my way and trip me. I fall flat on my face at the edge of a...pond?

It's not very large, but it sure is beautiful. The water is extremely clear, but reflective. A cave's mouth sits across the other side. The water shimmers in the starlight; it reminds me of something straight out of a dream.

I push myself up with my hands to is to my knees and look into the water. At first, I'm startled when I see my reflection, closing my eyes holding my hand over my heart, attempting to catch my breath.

'_I've faced my fears the entire time I've been on this island. This is just another one.'_ Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes and look at my reflection. To be honest, what I see brings me close to tears.

My once pale skin that was so luminous it could rival the moon, was now burnt red with different stripes of varying shades intertwined with white streaks. The skin had rippled and was textured instead of the usual smooth. I could hardly even see my birthmark underneath the burns.

_'No wonder they don't remember me. They can't even _recognize_ me.'_ I stare at the reflection, tears slipping out. They fall in the water, rippling the surface. But something funny happens to the reflection. It waivers, warps and twists itself into the reflection of someone else.

I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand, as I stare down at the image that was left behind. The girl that stares back at me is pale, which contrasts greatly against her dark hair. And with the dark purple splotch of her left eye. I raises my hands to my face, and so does the girl in the water.

But then the girl does something that I myself did not do. She holds up her right hand and gestures with her finger to come closer. Something about her makes me want to take her hand and let her lead me to wherever.

I lower my hand to the water and I'm just about to take her hand into mine when,"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The image flickers and fades away with the rippling of the water, leaving only my distorted reflection behind.

Out of frustration, I slam my palm on the dirt and let out a growl. I look up at the center of my troubles, glaring at him. Peter leans against the trunk of a nearby tree, looking on with a bored look.

"Why, exactly, did you take away one of the only pieces of happiness that I have experienced on this island?" I growl to him. "Because if you had taken her hand, she would have drowned you."

I scoff at his remark. "How would she have drowned me? She was a reflection."

Pan's brow furrowed. "A reflection?"

"Yes. A reflection of who I once was. Or what I used to look like at least." I said, looking back down at the water to see my hideous reflection staring back. Irritated, I splashed the water with my hand, distorting the image once again.

"Who were you?" Pan asked, even though he already knew the answer. "You know!" I yelled at him, pushing myself up off the ground and stomping towards him.

"You know who I am, who I was! Ashling! The only girl that you ever brought to Neverland. Me, the girl who was locked away in a glass cage for years! Me, the girl who would have given up _everything_, even my own heart, just so I could be with you! The girl who _foolishly_ believed that you loved her back and was scarred for life because of it! The girl who, despite all the bullshit you put her through, irrevocably, undeniably, and positively is still horribly, madly, terribly in love with _you_!"

I grabbed his face and forced my mouth upon his. At first he was hesitant, but soon was responsive. Just when it was at its peak, I broke away. Breathlessly, I said, "The girl who is also in love...with that scar-faced, son of a bitch, Felix."

Before I could see the confusion cross his face, I walked away from him, back to camp.

Pan's POV:

I stand there, utterly confused as to what just happened._ 'What kind of girl goes and kisses someone that passionately, then tells him that she's in love with someone else as well?'_ For some reason, I know that she's the answer to that question.

The burnt-faced, dark haired, mystery of a girl that Ashling was. I think back to the memory I had relived when she had sucked my face.

...

Ashling giggles as I place the flower in front of her nose. "A rose for my rose." I whisper in her ear. Her cheeks tinge pink from her blushing. "Oh Peter, stop." She gushes.

Together, we lie in the hammock, her body snuggled in close next to mine. One of my legs dangles out of the hammock to continuously push us, my arm wrapped around her frame. Her head is cradled in the crook of my neck, and she has a hand placed on my chest.

Her eyes flutter as she tries to not fall asleep. But her efforts fail her as she drifts off into oblivion, the soft and slow sound of her breathing confirming this.

My favorite thing to do with her. Just lie in a hammock and have her fall asleep on me. But the peace is interrupted by my annoyingly worried thoughts.

'_This can't last forever.' 'The magic is running out.' 'Tick, tock, tick, tock.' 'I need to find the Heart of the Truest Believer.' _Just some of the thoughts, the ones I have on a daily basis.

But lately, new thoughts have been creeping into my mind. _'Felix looks at her funny.' 'Ashling looks at him the same way.' 'They know one another.' 'He knows her better than I do.' 'What if she loves him more than me?'_

It was an odd emotion that I felt with these thoughts. An emotion I thought I'd never have to feel again._ 'Jealousy.'_

Sure, I had felt it before. I was jealous of all those nobles that came into the blacksmiths just so they could flout their money. Jealous of the boys that didn't have to slave away to keep a roof over their head. Jealous of the children with loving parents.

But never had I thought that I would be jealous of another man when it came to women. Much less my Own follower._ 'Ignore it.'_ My subconscious hissed at me. _'It's nothing. Besides, you're Peter Pan. You can have anything you want.'_

And I kept telling myself that. Until it was too late.

Felix's POV:

Ashling comes stomping back into camp. But instead of going over to Henry, like we would all expect her to do, but she comes up to me. Her hand snakes around my collar and she pulls me down to her eye level. A long way down for me.

"Look at me." She hisses to me. When I don't comply, she grabs my chin and jerks my head to face her. I am now forced to look at her. Really look at her.

Her face is streaked with red, the red part wrinkled and bubbly. The same goes for the rest of her body. It almost looks like..."The whore's punishment." I whispered.

It suddenly clicked. "You're from Ros." Her scowl only deepened. "Of course I'm from Ros, you idiot. Look at me and tell me who I am."

When I don't answer her directly, she goes and answers for me. "It's me! It's Ashling! You're four years older than me! We grew up together in Ros! You wanted to be a pageboy so that way could make a better life for yourself!"

After what she said, I couldn't help but feel obligated to look closer at her face. Deep under the burn marks was a purple splotch. On her left eye.

"No." I whispered. "It's not possible. Ashling died when she was twelve! Her mother told me!" She snorted and looked at me with disgust. "You truly don't remember anything, do you?"

Ashling looked down for a minute. "But perhaps I could make you remember." Before I could ask her what she means by that, I find her lips on mine. And I also find a memory.

...

I sit on the log, twirling my club, waiting for Pan to come back with the new recruits. Somewhere along the way, I think of the last time I saw Ashling. Alive at least.

...

It was a spring day, I was busy with my duties, and Ashling was coming home from school. But today, she was actually smiling. "What are you so chipper about?"

"The Prince came to my school today." She said, still smiling. "And?" I prodded. "I made him a shirt. He said it was the best one he's ever seen!"

"That's great Ashling." I told her. Although I thought making a shirt wasn't all that impressive, it was something that had made Ashling happy. And with that demon for a mother of her's, happiness was rare. So I decided to not spoil her good mood.

"Ashling." I said, thinking of an idea that could make her even more happier. "Yes, Felix?" She asked. "Could you come with me to the rose garden?" She paled, more so than usual. "Why?"

"Because I want to show you something." She looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Um...Moth-I mean, her majesty is expecting me soon. How about we meet there tonight?"

"Sure." I said, eager for that night. "Kay, see you there." She said as she started to walk away, but she stopped. "Felix, if it's another present, I'll hit you over the head with one of your precious books."

And just like that, she was gone. I smiled to myself._ 'Looks like I'm getting hit with a book.'_

...

I snap back to reality as Pan makes his way through the bushes with the new recruits. "Felix." He called out to me. "You know the routine."

"Alright new recruits! Line up!" I shout to them. "Felix?" A small voice pipes up. A new recruit steps forward, but there's something that sets them apart from the rest. She's a girl.

Her eyes fill with amazement, confusion, curiosity, and pure joy when they settle on me. She runs forward, nearly tackling me with a bear hug. She's surprisingly seton considering her size.

"Get off of me." I hiss as I push her off. "This is why Pan never brings girls to the island." Her lip quivers and her eyes tear up. "Felix." She whispers. "Don't you recognize me?"

"No." I tell her flatly. "It's me. Ashling." That strikes a chord and I growl. "Don't pretend that you're her." I hiss. "She died a long time ago."

Her brow furrows in frustration. "Am I going to have to hit you with one of your precious books?" Another chord. But this time, I decide to look at her. Really look at her.

She's the same age my Ashling would be now. Same build, same complexion, same hair color. But what confirms it is the purple rose birthmark on her left eye and cheekbone.

Joy fills my chest, feeling warm and prickly. A sob chokes in my throat. "Ashling?" Her eyes tear up as she nods. "Ashling!" I shout as I take her up into a bear hug.

"I found you, Felix." She mumbles into my chest. "I found home."

...

She pulls away, our lips pulling apart bit by bit. The big, pale blue eyes that stare out from underneath crispy eyelids search me for any signs of recognition. "Ashling?" I ask, a sob catching itself in my throat once again.

"Felix." She whispers. "You broke me, Felix. You broke me."


End file.
